Typical West Virginia thinking. (Coonskin Park)

[CoolBreeze]

Here's what's wrong with America today: The government would rather take money out of the pockets of taxpayers than support PRIVATE SECTOR jobs! This railroad was in place LONG before there was a Coonskin Park, and I hope to see the trains running day and night through there... but God KNOWS that soccer moms and their little snowflakes are much more important than good jobs.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Kanawha County parks officials are bristling at a plan by a short-line railroad company to reactivate two local rail lines, including one that runs right through part of Coonskin Park.

Both lines are owned by Norfolk Southern Railway and have sat unused for several decades.

The federal Surface Transportation Board recently gave its approval for Charleston, Blue Creek and Sanderson Railway Co. to lease portions of the line running through Coonskin from Norfolk Southern. As a short-line Class III noncarrier, Charleston, Blue Creek and Sanderson is exempt from a bevy of federal regulations regarding the railroad industry.

Jeff Hutchinson, executive director of the county parks department, said Wednesday he is not pleased with the news. The issue came up during a meeting of the parks board.

Hutchinson said the deal could have "serious ramifications" for the park and for property owners whose homes sit near the rail line. ( The trains ran LONG before, and during the construction of those homes way back when)

A portion of the line runs right in front of the county Parks and Recreation Commission administration offices and the Coonskin Clubhouse, and it's right next to the Alex Schoenbaum Soccer Stadium and Amphitheater located at the park.

More...
http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200911181069

MY question is: Where are these trains going to run TO? They used to terminate at a Roundhouse that sat where Greens Feed & Seed is today. There's no where to go now.

[genlock]

Probably a non-union rail company.
That is the problem.

[cgarison]

It is a noble fight, but in the end, the railroad will win.

[genlock]

So, when the far-thinking Kanawha County Park Board established and improved the park,
they didn't think to try to buy the unused railroad right-of way which could have been
had for a bargain as the railroad at the time was New York Central (and later Conrail)
which were bankrupt or nearly so at the time.

[CoolBreeze]

Nope. Wrong railroad. The NYC ran parallel to Kanawha River through Charleston. This rail line was owned by the B & O and went up Elk River.

[genlock]

If it was B&O, how does the N&S control it now?
The park board would have had an input to public service comm
when the line was sold.

In any event, I don't care much.

[Jet Black]

C&O bought B&O, turned into Chessie Systems, then merged with Southern to form CSX, which bought N&W, which tanked CSX's stock.

[genlock]

CSX and NS are two completely separate companies.
Tracks pretty much look the same.

[CoolBreeze]

Look at this photo: http://www.mywvhome.com/old/Charlestonpan.jpg

In the lower center is the old B & O turntable. The tracks to Coonskin led out to the lower right on the photo. Those tracks were a dead end at the turntable (just off Capitol Street, and within yards of the NYC tracks which you can see in the lower extreme right) When I was a kid, I lived in this area and the turntable was still there. As far as I know, the B & O owned these tracks and facility right up to the time when the entire operation was shut down, the turntable was removed, and the tracks no longer used.